Post by tatphishgirl on Jun 17, 2009 1:36:19 GMT -5

got to Manchester at 5:40 pm Thursday started setting up at 9 pm -- was furious! plus just as we were getting the tent up it poured rain-- double furious. Got to see just the end of People under the stairs -- I was not happy, until Friday then mellowed.

Post by ANSWA9000 on Jun 17, 2009 17:20:03 GMT -5

12 hours in line is absolutely RIDICULOUS. While it was a fun, rolling party for about the first 6 hours, the snail's pace kind of dragged down spirits after a while.

Being bonnaroo veterans of 5 years, we decided to hit things later this year to try and get placed somewhere else then the BFE "Bond" camps. We'd normally be in line at around 5-6 am thrusday with only an hour wait. Big mistake.... I'd take a far site than 12 hours in line any day.

I understand things happen, but jesus.... 12 hours SITTING in a car is brutal

Post by ProllySo on Jun 18, 2009 10:04:27 GMT -5

We got to exit 127 around 1pm, and waited in line for 6.5 hours. We were going bat nuts crazy in that car.

What I heard (and don't know if it is true or not), is that the power kept going out in Bonnaroo as people were waiting to get in. The checkpoints' systems kept going down, and it would take half an hour to come back up. So they were holding people at the gates. Someone back home was on twitteroo and said this was his source. I haven't heard anything else about that, though.

That being said, the cops eventually re-routed us back onto the interstate where we got off right afterward, and we ended up in Luke Skywalker - a 5 minute walk to Centeroo! That pretty much made up for the long a$$ wait.

Post by sangvincent on Jun 18, 2009 14:34:36 GMT -5

6 hours starting at 1045 am on Thursday Exit 127. Never making that mistake again.

about the same for us. i think we reach the line around 9:30 am thur. we left chattanooga at 8:30 and it took us like an hour and half from there, but we got an hr. back. around 2 we got to the 112 entrance and the guy puts a cone down like "don't come in" the car ahead of us keeps going, so we follow them. we look back and he's letting cars in again. still no idea what happened there. anyway, we ended up in line another 2 hr. because of it. all you stoners will love this though, it was pretty much exactly 4:20 when we finally got in to our camp site. we spent over about 7 hr. in line. it has been worse each time i've went to bonnaroo. in 05 it took a coupler hr., 07 it took 4 or 5, then this year. it fucking sucks.

Post by justANOTHERnewb on Jun 18, 2009 14:47:33 GMT -5

got into manchester around 1 pm. Didn't start setting up camp till about 9 pm. Went down the interstate got off waited in line for hours and was redirected back onto the interstate in the other direction. When we tried to ask a cop what was going on he cursed and threatened us. My g/f was in none too good of a mood. After that everything went smoothly. Couldn't really have asked for a much better weekend aside from the wait and the blow hard copper.

Post by DrJohnMadeBonnaroo on Jun 19, 2009 16:32:44 GMT -5

Got into line on the shoulder at about mile marker 115 at 8:15 on Thursday morning. I was in line for about 7 hours. At one point I moved about 50 feet in an hour, which sucked since I was parallel to Bushy Branch Rd where it runs next to I24 and I could see everyone else heading in. I ended up parked in Camp Roger Murdock but hiked to tent only and camped in Camp Thunderlips. Nice and close

About the same. Coming up 24 West from Chattanooga, we passed exit 127 and got in line on the shoulder at about 11AM. Noticed by the mile markers that we were 7 or 8 miles from the roo. Spent about 5 hours in line before we realized they'd taken everyone behind us and sent them somewhere else. A line then formed behind us. Could have saved 5 hours by just getting in line when they did. Took another two hours to get from the temporary exit (which they waved us past) and to the next exit (where they didn't have good traffic coordination, so our line went super slow merging in with the traffic from other directions.

SEVEN HOURS. When we got to security I was running around waving my arms screaming. ended up halfway between Pod 8 and Pod 9 balloons--right behind the house on bushy branch. Perfect location IMO. Close enough but very private. The roads up in pods 8 and 9 were nice and chilled out--perfect after crowds and music all day/night.

The most sun I got all weekend was my left arm from waiting in line on the highway.

Chewed through a quarter tank of gas. Started turning on and off the car after a couple hours in line.

During the entire 7 hours, bonnaroo radio said SQUAT about traffic. I don't expect traffic and weather together every ten minutes, but c'mon.

Post by cdevaney on Jun 19, 2009 21:23:43 GMT -5

Arrived at midnight Wednesday via 24 from Nashville to exit 111 and had no wait. I was concerned that we were timing it to be too close to the portopotties at Camp Jaws but they were across the road and we ended up closer to the woods instead!

I realize that by arriving Wednesday night I'm guaranteeing BFE but better the devil you know, right? In 04, the only year I arrived by day, we waited in line about 4 hours and got in around noon only to set up in 90 degree sun which blew. I'm happy to walk a little further and set up by the cool of the night.

Post by ellisintransit on Jun 22, 2009 12:00:06 GMT -5

Karma decided to teach me what it's like for you guys driving in from out of state this year. In my 6 Bonnaroos I've always taken the back roads in and never waited too long. Decided to tempt fate this year and paid for it. Drove 30 minutes from my home in Murfreesboro down 24 and got sent to exit 127 way the hell past Manchester. Got onto that road and sat. We went 12 miles in 10 hours. NOT TOO SHABBY! Haha.

It was horrible. Just horrible. For the first time I wished I was at home (or god fordbid...work) instead of waiting to get into Bonnaroo. Tuned in to Radio Bonnaroo hoping for ANYTHING and got nothing. They have this system set up with the radio station and they can't give ANY updates as to wait time, etc.? Radio Bonnaroo was a waste of my time, and I had a lot to spare. Haha. The one thing it was good for was announcing that Delta Spirit's set had been pushed back, which was good because I would have missed them otherwise.

Anyway, once we got set up the weekend got rolling and it was as good as any Bonnaroo I've been to. I had a terrific weekend, and that's a hard thing to do when it starts off so rough.

VIP next year for me. It's worth the extra 300 bones just to not have to sit for 10 hours starting and stopping. Oh my god, it's so annoying to be in that traffic and turn off your car and then 20 minutes later you start it up and move 1/10 of a mile and then turn it off again. So painful.

Post by Del Griffith on Jun 24, 2009 15:53:38 GMT -5

got in line at exit 112 thursday morning round 630am. waited 20-30 minutes then was escorted to exit 111 by a TN state trooper on a motorcycle. waited in that line for about 2-2 1/2 hours. was all set up at camp q (pod 1) out in BFE by 10am.

Post by flgypsy on Jun 25, 2009 3:43:43 GMT -5

my only line regret is that i brought monopoly deal and uno and a deck of cards, but they were packed way in the trunk under a major pile of stuff. next year they go in the glove box.

i was thinking of getting them, since we were bored and radio bonnaroo was crap most of the time (sorry), but when we were out frolicking, the line suddenly moved, and kiddo and i had to dash about half a mile, giggling and clutching a box of donut holes. hehe.

Post by jephra on Jun 25, 2009 10:50:21 GMT -5

We got off exit 127 at around noon on thursday and waited in the dreaded 8 hour line. Ended up in Camp Duke Randolph, mere yards away from where we camped last year. Barely made it in time for the People Under The Stairs. Luckily, we set up camp before the rain started.

Post by on Jun 25, 2009 13:36:52 GMT -5

My friend and I arrived at the walmart in Manchester at about 7am and were about to exit to get in line when my car got hit by an RV. My taillight and bumper got all jacked up so we had to wait an hour or so for a police report to be filled out. We then followed some shitty police directions and then finally turned around and got in line at bushy branch. It was about a 2-3 hour wait to get in and we were set up by noon.

Our campsite was approximately 15 minutes from centeroo. We were camped by pod 9 in, i think, camp ace ventura.

Post by jacobwright on Jul 9, 2009 9:20:48 GMT -5

STUPID? Our exit was closed off! How about next year you find another fucking way to get there. I've read all of your posts on here and you have done nothing but lie and fabricate your Bonnaroo stories. You posted all of the pics that Lora and I took as your own. Next year, you can ride with someone else since you don't drive and should be grateful that your friend, the ONLY one who has been there for you in the past ten years does all of this shit for you. NO MORE! Fuck you, you are on your own!

Post by coco205 on Jul 10, 2009 11:55:40 GMT -5

We got in nice and early, left walmart around 4:20 ;). Perfect time to go, got through quick, we were only on the hwy for about 20 minutes, through the gates in another 20 mins or so. We were camped right off of 2nd I believe, 10 min. walk from centeroo. Much better than last year, being stuck in traffic for 2 hrs, then another hr to be thrown way far away, lol.

Post by whistlesgowhoop on Apr 21, 2010 21:49:55 GMT -5

last year I believe the gates opened at 5pm, we were going to be right on time but we got pulled over and delayed. I think we were in line by 5:30 and at the campsite within an hour - we barely got delayed

Post by FuzzyWarbles on Apr 22, 2010 12:47:10 GMT -5

I went in the gates around 9 pm Wednesday.I had to wait while one vehicle in front of me got checked.I got sent to one of the 007 camps in BFE, but moved to tent only the next morning.There's lots of partying going on inside Wednesday night.My only complaint is they wouldn't let me leave the camping area to go check out the vendors that were set up til in the morning.

What you got back home, little sister, to play your fuzzy warbles on? I bet you got little save pitiful, portable picnic players. Come with uncle and hear all proper! Hear angel trumpets and devil trombones. You are invited.

Post by whistlesgowhoop on Apr 22, 2010 15:16:46 GMT -5

when i went early gates opened at 5pm, and we had about a 20 minute drive to the security checkpoint, a 10 minute search, than probably a 20 minute drive to the campsite. basically no dead time standing still but we ended up far away but it wasnt bad, also - make sure to fill up before you go into roo just incase the lines are longer.